After scary crash on I-75, driver says, 'I'm glad that I am here to say that I’m sore'

Edward Farmer and his daughter Centerria Farmer look for belongings to salvage at Revis Towing in Ocala on Monday . He was driving the Acura and was hit by a semi after he collided with a jack-knifed trailer on Interstate 75 Sunday. Amazingly, Farmer received only a scratch in the crash.

Alan Youngblood/Star-Banner

By Carlos E. MedinaCorrespondent

Published: Monday, September 23, 2013 at 6:33 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, September 23, 2013 at 6:33 p.m.

On Monday, Edward Farmer reflected on his brush with death a day earlier on Interstate 75 when the car he driving was crushed between a tractor-trailer and another trailer carrying hundreds of honey bee boxes.

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Farmer groaned as he moved around what was left of the 2010 Acura. The car, which was at Revis Towing, was mangled beyond recognition. Only the automaker’s badges revealed the make.

“I am so sore. My neck, back, my knees, my tailbone. My entire body is aching. But I am glad that I am here to say that I’m sore,” said Farmer, who was in the last few moments of a 12-hour road trip when the accident happened.

Just before 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Farmer was approaching the U.S. 27 interchange when he said he caught a glimpse of something.

“Before I knew it, I was on top of it. I thought it was a trailer full of concrete block,” Farmer said. "When I hit the trailer I closed my eyes.”

What he hit was a trailer load of new honey bee boxes, which had overturned a few minutes before.

“I remember reaching for the seat belt. I was sort of dizzy. The next thing I knew I was running down a ditch,” Farmer said.

That quick thinking saved his life.

Moments later, a 1996 Peterbilt tractor-trailer barrelled into the back of the Acura, pushing the trunk into the back seat and the front seat to within a few inches of the steering wheel.

On Monday, Farmer and his three daughters picked through the car, removing his clothes and other items. The bags were all torn and a briefcase was crushed. A black Bible, however, was unscathed.

“I feel so fortunate. I’m glad I can be here with my girls,” said Farmer, who was in Kentucky working the Keeneland September sale of yearling thoroughbreds.

Farmer works the horse sales in Ocala, Kentucky and California. He shows the horses in the ring as they go up for auction.

“I went to the emergency room yesterday and I’m going to my family doctor this week. I think I’ll be just fine,” he said.

His daughter, Centerria Farmer, was left nearly speechless when she saw what was left of the car.

“It’s just demolished. It indescribable,” said Centerria, who loaned the car to her father for the trip to Kentucky.

“As long as he’s fine, I can get another vehicle. I’m just glad he got out safely,” she said. “We just lost my mom a few years ago and it would have been awful to lose him.”

The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the pileup, which also included two other vehicles that hit the empty bee boxes strewn on the highway. No citations were issued.

According to emergency agencies that responded to offer assistance, none of the drivers had any serious injuries.

<p>On Monday, Edward Farmer reflected on his brush with death a day earlier on Interstate 75 when the car he driving was crushed between a tractor-trailer and another trailer carrying hundreds of honey bee boxes.</p><p>Farmer groaned as he moved around what was left of the 2010 Acura. The car, which was at Revis Towing, was mangled beyond recognition. Only the automaker's badges revealed the make.</p><p>“I am so sore. My neck, back, my knees, my tailbone. My entire body is aching. But I am glad that I am here to say that I'm sore,” said Farmer, who was in the last few moments of a 12-hour road trip when the accident happened.</p><p>Just before 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Farmer was approaching the U.S. 27 interchange when he said he caught a glimpse of something.</p><p>“Before I knew it, I was on top of it. I thought it was a trailer full of concrete block,” Farmer said. "When I hit the trailer I closed my eyes.”</p><p>What he hit was a trailer load of new honey bee boxes, which had overturned a few minutes before.</p><p>“I remember reaching for the seat belt. I was sort of dizzy. The next thing I knew I was running down a ditch,” Farmer said.</p><p>That quick thinking saved his life.</p><p>Moments later, a 1996 Peterbilt tractor-trailer barrelled into the back of the Acura, pushing the trunk into the back seat and the front seat to within a few inches of the steering wheel.</p><p>On Monday, Farmer and his three daughters picked through the car, removing his clothes and other items. The bags were all torn and a briefcase was crushed. A black Bible, however, was unscathed.</p><p>“I feel so fortunate. I'm glad I can be here with my girls,” said Farmer, who was in Kentucky working the Keeneland September sale of yearling thoroughbreds.</p><p>Farmer works the horse sales in Ocala, Kentucky and California. He shows the horses in the ring as they go up for auction.</p><p>“I went to the emergency room yesterday and I'm going to my family doctor this week. I think I'll be just fine,” he said.</p><p>His daughter, Centerria Farmer, was left nearly speechless when she saw what was left of the car.</p><p>“It's just demolished. It indescribable,” said Centerria, who loaned the car to her father for the trip to Kentucky.</p><p>“As long as he's fine, I can get another vehicle. I'm just glad he got out safely,” she said. “We just lost my mom a few years ago and it would have been awful to lose him.”</p><p>The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the pileup, which also included two other vehicles that hit the empty bee boxes strewn on the highway. No citations were issued.</p><p>According to emergency agencies that responded to offer assistance, none of the drivers had any serious injuries.</p>